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| Lose the Smelldorados | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 1 2009, 08:14 AM (1,239 Views) | |
| buswizard | Jun 1 2009, 08:14 AM Post #1 |
The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With The First Fare Payment
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I saw the NABI scrappings topic has been getting carried away and I didn't want it to go too off-topic, so I started this topic. I mean the eldorados are nice buses to serve low-ridership routes and tight roads, but the acceleration and the shocks of those buses are deplorable. Otherwise I would be a lawnmower fan. I rode 4525 on the 98 (my first mower ride this year) and i now remember why nobody likes them. And I am not sure if frontier would look good with lawnmower after lawnmower after lawnmower anyways. I appreciate all the 40fters; even the bricks are well managed. The Smelldorados are too burdensome. Yeah, I think we should give all our lawnmowers (but one or two for the 35) to Frontier and we get 8210-8219. Frontier deserves ten more 5600s as well. Maybe they should get 5664, 5667-5675. Had it not been for the 5600s and a few lawnmowers (I still have yet to find a really good one) I think frontier wouldve been nearly too boring for me to ride. |
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| redarrow5591 | Jun 1 2009, 08:40 AM Post #2 |
Light Rail and Railroad Historian
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I will give you the suspension, but those little Lawnmowers are some mean little buses, and too many people underestimate them. I myself like them...... well all except the ones out of Frontier. |
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| Septa_kid | Jun 1 2009, 08:58 AM Post #3 |
flxie!!!!
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I dunno, then there'd be a whole lotta champions at the depot, can't stand for that one... i'd rather have the El 'Ds Please |
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| Tritransit Area | Jun 1 2009, 09:25 AM Post #4 |
Transit Enthusiast
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Wow, Red Arrow's Dorados are worse...and Midvales.... I think the best run out of G-town though. 4526 out of Frontier and other earlier overhauls are pretty cool too. I know I loved the Dorados at that turn from Ridge Pike to Bultler Pike (before they reconstructed the curve). Those Dorados can turn on a dime! All in all, a good Dorado is very fun to ride, and they seem somewhat solid despite the rattle of the farebox. Bounciness makes them fun, and they sure make you look twice when you hear the LOUD bellow of an ISB roaring like a big rig only to find a lil Dorado. I'd welcome them to the fleet...but keep our ZFers here! Edited by Tritransit Area, Jun 1 2009, 09:30 AM.
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| Tritransit Area | Jun 1 2009, 09:37 AM Post #5 |
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Transit Enthusiast
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The 1st and 2nd gears are admittedly a little sluggish, but once you hit the "lock-up" and move into 3rd, 4th, and 5th, those lil buses surely move! Of course, having a slow driver would ruin any bus riding experience. |
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| buswizard | Jun 1 2009, 09:50 AM Post #6 |
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The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With The First Fare Payment
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Well, I will take your word, Brandon, but I haven't rode too many "good" lawnmowers yet. Except for my old stalker 4574 back on the 77. That was an OK ride. |
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| Nabi60SFW9620 | Jun 1 2009, 10:02 AM Post #7 |
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Foamer
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I havent ridden SEPTAs Eldorado RE29s but I rode the RE29 in Harrisburg. And they suck. The RE35 is okay but not the RE29. |
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| Tritransit Area | Jun 1 2009, 11:10 AM Post #8 |
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Transit Enthusiast
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Yeah, I'm not really a fan of Harrisburg's Dorados either. |
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| Nabi60SFW9620 | Jun 1 2009, 01:57 PM Post #9 |
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Foamer
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I think Harrisburg may have piggybacked off of SEPTA with the Eldorados. Differences look to only be the interior colors, windows, and passenger seats. So basically. With CATs being crap. So are SEPTAs. Ocean Citys Eldorado Transmark RE35s handle better since they have a stronger Chassis then the RE29. Which I suspect is on the same Chassis as a Dually pickup truck. |
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| CACrafter88bk2504 | Jun 1 2009, 04:25 PM Post #10 |
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Transit Historian
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As for the Eldorados, Frontier should sell off their Champions, retain the Eldorados to replace the Champions. The NABIs that SEPTA got rid of, they could re-activate them(5002-5007, 5012-5013, 5026, 5013, 5049, 5077) & put them into revenue service & disperse them back to Midvale & Southern, Southern would give up some of their New Flyers to Frontier, & Midvale would give their remaining 5900s to Frontier to cover the loss of the Eldorados. Keep the NABIs @ Comly, & let Midvale get a good portion of this current order of hybrids. |
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| Van2006ko | Jun 1 2009, 04:32 PM Post #11 |
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Foamer
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Well when they were new, they were great buses. They were extremely fast infact hybrid fast, yet bouncy. However sometime in 2002, SEPTA gotten to each one of these units making them slower. When they overhauled them, they adjusted their suspension system. The Eldorados even sounded different with the A/C back then. The product what you have today is mainly a product of maintenance runs just like with the Bricks. These days like any other aging bus in the fleet. Time has taken its toll on many selected buses of the fleet. Well the same thing could be said about the 2001-2002 fleet of flyers. Before lock-up, the buses were extremely sluggish yet after the lock-up they are able to fully move. Yet when I've ride on 54xx and 55xx from Comly they are a completely different story. (At least the ones I've ridden on). Before their overhauls there were a few units which it's turbocharger spooled up extremely fast. Exactly like the 56xx and had 56xx acceleration. Since their overhauls, however, the New Flyers are extremely slow at those speeds. On the NABI front, the radiator fans are constantly on. Probably due to constant overheating. They take roughly 25-30% horsepower away from the engine. When the radiator fans are off, however, they sound like New Flyers and have 56xx like acceleration. |
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| Albu7253querque | Jun 1 2009, 05:46 PM Post #12 |
Soulja Boy look-alike
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4552 is a good lawn mower. Not only because of it's orange block sign. It's a fast coaster. And it flies like it's running from a nuclear blast.
Edited by Albu7253querque, Jun 1 2009, 05:46 PM.
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| TransitChuckG | Jun 1 2009, 06:13 PM Post #13 |
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Foamer
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I know nothing about bus designs, but the wheels are too close together (wheelbase) on our El Dorado's , hence the choppy ride. The entire bus is so short and a SEPTA supervisor told me he took one out for a spin and it was like driving a car(almost) |
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| ctrabs74 | Jun 1 2009, 10:52 PM Post #14 |
Advanced Transit Fan
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Considering that the 92 is often infested with Chumps, I'll take a Lawnmover any day of the week. Now, if I'm stuck with one on the 104, well, that's a different story... I don't think that CAT piggybacked their ElDorados off of SEPTA's order. IIRC, SEPTA's ElDos are 2000, CAT's are 2002. |
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| TransitChuckG | Jun 13 2009, 02:43 PM Post #15 |
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Foamer
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A Victory Operator just told me he went to work today and went for his El Dorado and they told him they are all on hold, they are going to Frontier. Victory is getting 5900 series Flyers, so I guess he had a Flyer today, or a NABI. |
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